Towel dispensing apparatus



Nov. 30, 1937. R, BlRR T AL 2,100,729

- I TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS I Filed Feb. 11, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 E0094 PH 6.5/2? Ha I AABEET C GEUNWALD Nov. 30, 1937;

R. G. BlRR ET AL 2,100,729

TOWEL'DISPENSING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1933 [Ryan/7, 02 El/DOLPHG-B/EK ALBEET CGUNWAL o v 9 W W ATTOENEYJ' Nov. 30, 1937 R G BIRR ET AL TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS 4 Shets-Sheet 5 File ad Feb. 11, 1935 w Mm MRWWE o 5% 3 4 5 NOV. 30, R G B|RR ET AL TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I IIIIA A l/67621 02 0004 PH 6. 5/21 fi'LBEET CZ GEUNW/IL D ATTOENEYS' Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Rudolph G. Birr, Lombard, and Albert C. Grunwald, River Forest, 111., assignors to Steiner Sales Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Utah Application February 11, 1933, Serial No. 656,283

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for dispensing toweling. The invention is embodied in a type of apparatus in which clean towel delivery and soiled towel take-up are obtained as the result of pulling of the towel by the user, and in which the soiled toweling is normally taken up at a rate equal to that of the delivery rate.

An object of the invention is to provide means for normally operating a soiled-toweling take-up roll at a speed rate equal to that of the feed roll, and further to provide means adapted to be automatically conditioned as a result of such normal operation for subsequently automatically accelerating the rotative speed of the take-up roll over that of the feed roll to the end that the soiled toweling be taken up at a greater rate, so that it will be no longer accessible and/0r visible to the user, and as an indication that replenishment of clean toweling is necessary.

Another object is to obtain accelerated action of the take-up roll by providing means by which energy is automatically stored during the towel dispensing period and/or as the result of towel a feed, and further to provide means by which this energy can be released when the toweling is substantially exhausted for operating the take-uproll at the accelerated speed rate.

Another object is to accomplish the accelerating action of the take-up roll by means of a spring, in such manner that the spring is gradually put under tension as the result of take-up and/or feeding action.

Another object is to wind or tension the spring by means including two gear trains or equivalent driving means for the rolls, and to provide means for disconnecting one of the driving means, when the toweling is substantially exhausted, to allow independent rotation of the take-up roll under 1 the action of the spring.

Features include all details of construction, along with the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure or illustrated or described therein.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawings forming part of this application, and in said drawings Figure l is a vertical transverse section taken on line I! of Figure 7, showing the mechanism positioned as when there is remaining a substantial supply of clean toweling, and with the normal amount of looped toweling accessible and visible;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 22 of Figure '7, illustrating the gear mechanism,

. with both driving means operative and with the parts positioned in correspondence to those of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on a line similar to Figure 2, but showing the clean towel supply substantially exhausted with the parts positioned as immediately before tripping, to allow independent rotation of the take-up roll;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with the parts positioned as after tripping has taken place, and also showing in dot-and-dash lines the loading position of the swing-housing;

Figure 5 is a view of the gear train for driving the feed and take-up rolls, with the shift gear in mesh;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, with the shift gear out of mesh;

Figure '7 is a plan section taken substantially on line 1-! of Figure 3, illustrating the spring winding mechanism, and associated. driving gear trains;

Figure 8 is a detail section on line 8-8 of Figure 3 taken through the spring-winding geai train and associated rolls and shafts; and

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the relation of the spring to the shaft and roller.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary and diagrammatic view, indicating the relative arrangement of all the gears and the spring.

This invention is embodied in a wall type of towel dispensing cabinet. Referring first to Figure 1: Numeral I indicates the outer casing of the cabinet. This casing is provided with the usual door 2 and has at its bottom and rear an elongated slot 3 upwardly through which the toweling is drawn to be connected with the takeup roll. The front edge of this bottom is spaced from the door to form an elongated slot 4 to permit the toweling to pass beneath the cabinet to hang therebelow in a position to be grasped by the user. Attached to the rear wall of the casing is a bracket 5 which forms part of a means for smoothing out the soiled toweling before it reaches the soiled towel roll. Referring to Figures 2 and '7: There is also attached to the rear and side walls, a bracket-like extension I with which a portion of the gear-shift plate engages for bringing the plate to latched position during swinging motion of the swing frame.

Within the casing l is an element, referred to herein as the swing-housing. This housing is formed by two side plates Ill-4 I cross-connected at their lower portions by a plate having a vertical portion IS, a curved portion l4 and a horizontal portion 15, the latter portion forming the bottom of the housing. The bottom l5 forms a support for a roll of clean toweling 16. A second plate I! tops the portion I3 of the first plate, and extends horizontally outwardly or forwardly, and its outer end is curved upwardly to lie between the feed and take-up rolls respectively indicated at Iii-2E9. The swing-housing thus formed is pivoted by suitable means indicated at 2|, the pivot being arranged near the top of the outer casing I.

This housing supports the major portion of the mechanism of the present invention. After the door 2 of the casing I is open, the housing can be swung outwardly to facilitate introduction of fresh toweling and/or removal of soiled toweling, as well as for automatically moving a shiftable driving gear mechanism to a predetermined operating position, as the housing moves either outwardly or inwardly.

For holding this swing-housing in its outermost position, while loading and unloading, a prop arm 22 is pivoted to the plate II, as shown, and is notched as at 23 to engage the forward edge of the bottom of the outer casing l and has a finger 24 to limit outward movement of the housing, this finger being engageable with the inturned edge 25, see Figure 7, of the outer case I. Two such arms may be employed, one attached to each plate l5 and l I.

Afterintroduction of a roll of clean toweling IS, the end of the toweling is first engaged with the feed roll 19, fixed to a shaft rotatably journaled in plates I and II. The journal detail is best shown in Figure 8. ihe toweling is then brought around a pinch roll 21 journaled in slots 28 of the plates l0 and II. This roll operates by gravity in a well-known manner to press the toweling against the feed roll to obtain the proper frictional contact. The toweling is then brought downwardly through slot 4 and below the bottom of the casing l and then upwardly to form a loop indicated at 29, and is then brought upwardly through the slot 3 around a towel-smoothing edge 30 of plate l1, then around a curved smoothing surface of bracket 5, then upwardly againstsmoothin g bar 3|, thence to the soiled towel roll 32. The shaft of this roll is suitably guided in slots 33 in the plates, and the roll rests by gravity upon and is frictionally driven by the take-up roll 20.

In cabinets of this general type, push-button or lever control means (not shown herein) is provided for locking the feed roll against further'motion after a predetermined length of clean toweling has been pulled out by the user, and this leveror button must be pushed each time to release the roll to permit a length of clean toweling to be drawn out. Such mechanism forms no part of the present invention, but is mentioned to make it clear that the feed roll is not continually free for rotation.

An important feature of this invention relates to means adapted to be automatically conditioned during the towel dispensing operation for subsequently automatically accelerating the rotative speed of the take-up roll over that of the feed roll. During the towel dispensing period, the rolls rotate at equal speeds, to maintain the loop 29. One embodiment, which is structurally capable of carrying out this broader idea of automatic conditioning, includes (see Figures '7 and 8) a'take-up roll shaft 38 rotatably journaledin plates l0 and II and having rotatably journaled thereon the take-up roll 20. The shaft 38 extends through and outwardly beyond the plate I l. A coil spring 39 connects the shaft with the roll in such manner that when the shaft is turned in the same direction as that of the take-up roll (when the roll is performing its take-up function) the spring is slowly wound to store energy. This automatic energy storing op eration, accomplished during the towel dispensing operation, we believe to be broadly new, and there is no intention to be limited to the particular structure shown.

This-winding is accomplished by rotating the shaft 38 at slightly greater speed of rotation than that of the take-up roll, and in the same direction. One end of the spring is attached as at 40 to a disk 4| pinned to the shaft and the oppositeend of the spring is attached as at 42 to a similar disk 43 attached to the roll 20. Figure 9 diagrammatically shows the relation of the spring 39 to the shaft and take-up roll. When both shaft 38 and roll 20 are rotated in the same direction, the former at slightly greater speed than the latter, the spring is gradually wound. Each towel dispensing operation, therefore, results in an energ -storing operation.

In order that the take-up roll be normally driven at equal speed with and by the feed roll, the feed roll has attached to its end (see Figure 8) a spur gear 45, and the take-up roll has attached thereto a spur gear 46. The gear 45 operates the gear 46 through an idler gear 41 (see also Figures and 6) and the idler gear is mounted by means of a stub shaft 48 (see Figure 7) upon a shift plate 50 (see its latched position, Figure 2). This shift plate 50 is pivoted to swing on an axis which is concentric with the axis. of the take-up roll shaft 38, and the stub shaft 48 (see Figures 7 and 4) passes through a slot. 5! of the plate H. This idler gear 41 always remains in mesh with the gear 46 of the take-.up roll, but when the shift plate 50 is moved in counter-clockwise direction, the idler gear 41 is moved out of mesh with the gear 45 of the feed roll.

In order to drive the shaft 38 of the take-up roll 20 at a slightly greater speed than that of the feed roll l9, and in the same direction as that roll to gradually wind the spring and store up ener y, a second gear train is provided which is arranged at the outside of the plate H and also at the outside of the shift plate 5|]. This train comprises gear 53 (see Figure 8) attached to the shaft of the feed roll l9 and rotative with the shaft, roll, and the gear 45. Attached to the shaft 38 of the take-up roll 20 is a gear 54 which, in this embodiment, has one less tooth than the gear 53. An idler gear 55v meshes with the gears 53w54 and. this gear (see Figure 8') is mounted on a stub shaft 51 carried by plate I I. The gears of this train are, therefore, in constant mesh, and on rotation of the feed roll l9, the shaft 38 is rotated to wind the spring 39 of the take-up roll. It is conceivable that other energy storage means might be used and that it might be differently associated for obtaining the desired ultimate acceleration of the take-up roll when the supply of clean toweling isexhausted, or nearly exhausted. There is, therefore, no intention to be limited to. the exact construction herein shown wherebyth1s energy is automatically stored, the automatic storage and release of the energy for operating the roll for the purpose herein being the broader feature of the invention.

Means is also provided, operable when the clean toweling supply is exhausted or substantially exhausted, for initiating the aforesaid accelerating action. In. this embodiment, this is accomplished by releasing and shifting the plate 5 0 from the latched position of Figure 2, which results, in moving of the gear 41- out of mesh with gear 45 of the feed and take-up rolls driving train, see Figures 6 and 4 for this shifted position.

To hold the shift plate 50 so that idler 41 remains in mesh with the gear 45 as in Figure 3, and until the clean towel supply is exhausted, or almpst so, a latching mechanism for the plate 50 is provided, and includes a weighted latch lever 59 (see Figure 2) having a shoulder 60 engageable with the upper edge of the outer end 6| of the latch plate. The lever 59 is pivoted at B2 to the plate II and is so weighted that the upper portion tends to move in counter-clockwise direction, or toward the shift plate. Above the shoulder 60, the latch lever 59 is providedwith a lateral extension 63, perpendicular to the faces of the lever and shift-plate. The shiftplate 56 is urged in counter-clockwise direction by the action of a spring 54 to move gear 41 out of mesh with gear 45 when the latch is released.

To trip the latch arm when the clean toweling is substantially exhausted, a tripping means having the following construction is provided: Referring first to Figures 8 and 2, to the outer end of the shaft of the feed roll 19 and against the gear 53 is eccentrically attached, relatively to the axis of the shaft, a cam 66, This cam operates in and against the sides of a slot 61 of a trip arm 68. A suitable plate 69, held by a screw 10, which also secures the cam, holds the trip arm 68 in operative relation with the cam 66, that is, so that the arm 68 can rock about the cam as a fulcrum, be laterally oscillated by the cam, and be translated relatively to the cam. The lower end of the trip arm is pivoted to a lateral extension 12 of a crank arm 13 of a wire yoke journaled as at l4l5 respectively in plates II and Ill.

The yoke is pivoted to the swing-housing at a point near the door, and is adapted normally to rest againstthat portion of the clean towel web 16 which extends from the clean towel roll to the feed roll at that side of the toweling nearest the door 2. The central portion TI only of this yoke rests against the towel, and the central portion is slightly curved as shown, and is weighted as at 18.

As positioned in Figure 2, the trip arm 68 has been translated and raised so that its tripping extension !9 lies above the corresponding extension 63 of the latch 59. Under these conditions, when the toweling is pulled and the feed roll rotated, the eccentric cam merely causes a lateral oscillation of the trip arm 68 about the center 12 without tripping the latch. A spring connects the arm 68 with the plate I l and acts to swing that portion of the arm below the cam 56, about the cam in clockwise direction, to swing the yoke also in that direction, due to the pivotal connection of the arm 68 with the extension 12 of the yoke. The yoke will, therefore, at all times, be yieldably held against the web portion 16 and as the towel supply dwindles, the yoke will be more or less gradually moved to the positions shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 3, and finally to the full line position shown both in Figures 3 and 4.

As the diameter of the fresh towel roll decreases, and as the yoke moves downwardly, the trip arm 58 is also moved downwardly until the tripping extension 19 lies in opposition to the corresponding extension 63 of the latch, In Figure 3, the cam 66 is so positioned that tripping has not as yet taken place, but in Figure 4 the cam has rotated through an arc of one hundred eighty degrees so that tripping has been accomplished by engagement of the extension 19 with the extension 63. When. this tripping takes place, the shift-plate 50 is moved by spring 64 to the position shown in Figure 4, and the gear 41 is moved to the position shown in Figure 6, thus freeing the take-up roll 20 from its gear connection with the feed roll 45, and allowing the spring 39 to act to accelerate rotation of the said take-up roll about the shaft 38, which is now stationary. As designed herein, tripping of the latch will result in action of the spring to immediately draw up the entire loop 29, to the position shown in Figure 4.

When the plate moves as a result of tripping the latch, a projection 8| of the plate engages the bracket 7, as shown in Figure 4. Subsequently, when the swing-housing is moved outwardly to the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 4, and if the arm trip extension 19 is in the proper position to allow the latch 59 to move to latching position, latching will take place as the result of the riding of projection 8| upwardly over projection 82 of bracket 1. Latching may also, however, take place when the swing-housing is moved inwardly, so that latching is assured.

Before the attendant introduces a roll of clean toweling, he first moves the swing-frame H to the position shown in dot-and dash lines in Figure 4. He then moves the yoke through an arc of about ninety degrees, which brings the pivotal point 12 to a level which is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 4, but which results in rocking'the lower part of the arm 68 in anticlockwise direction about the cam 65. If, after this movement of the yoke to its outer position, the trip extension 19 is near enough to the inner edge of the extension '63 of the latch, latching cannot take place as the swing-housing moves outwardly, and as the result of engagement of the projection 8| with the projection 82. The result will be that the latch plate will be rotated 'in clockwise direction and then, after the projection 8| no longer engages the bracket 1, it will move in counter-clockwise direction, its motion being limited in that direction by engagement of the stub shaft 48 with the upper end 84 of the arcuate slot 5| of the plate H, the arc of generation of the slot having its center in the axis of the shaft of the take-up roll. However, when the swing-housing is moved into the casing I, after the yoke has assumed the position shown in Figure 2, and during'such movement, projection 8| engages projection 82 and swings the latch plate to its latch position, the latch 59 being now free because at this time extension 19 is disposed above the projection 63, as in Figure 2.

We claim as our invention:

1. An apparatus for dispensing toweling including a feed roll and a takeup roll, a shaft upon which the takeup roll can rotate, means including a coil spring connecting the shaft and the roll in a manner to put the spring under tension when the shaft is rotated, a first gear train connecting the rolls for causing them to rotate at equal speed, a second gear train connecting the feed roll and the shaft to cause the shaft to rotate at slightly greater speed than that of the feed 1011 to put the spring under tension, means for moving 'a gear of the first mentioned train out of mesh to allow the takeup roll to be moved only by the spring, and means operable when the clean toweling is substantially exhausted for operating the last mentioned means to move said gear out of mesh.

2. An apparatus for dispensing toweling including a cabinet, and a frame in the cabinet adapted to swing outwardly therefrom for loading, said frame having mounted thereon a feed roll and. a. takeup roll, a shaft upon which the takeup roll can rotate, means including a coil spring conmelting the shaft and the roll in. a manner to put. thespring. under tension when the shaft is rotated, a first gear train connecting the rolls for causing them to rotate at equal speed, a second gear train connecting. thefeed roll and the shaft to cause the shaft to-rotateatfi slightly greater speed than that of the feedroll to put the spring under tension, a movable element for-moving a gear of the first mentioned train out of mesh to allow. the takeup roll to be moved only by the spring, means for automatically moving said element to unmesh the gear, means adapted to automatically latch said element in gearmeshed position, means cooperable with the mounting for moving it to latching position when the frame is swung inwardly, and means operable when the toweling is substantially exhausted for tripping the latch.

3. An apparatus for dispensing toweling including a feedroll' and a take-up roll, a rotatable shaft about which the take-up roll can rotate, means including a coil spring connecting the shaft and roll in a manner to be put: under tension when the shaft is rotated, first means by which one roll drives the other at equal speed with it, second means for driving the shaft of the take-up roll by the feed roll to put the spring under tension and to cause said shaft to rotate at a slightly greater speed than that of the feed,

roll, means for disconnecting the first mentioned driving means to allow free rotation of said takeup roll under action of the spring, and means operable when the toweling is substantially exhausted for causing disconnecting action of the last mentioned means.

4. A towel dispensing cabinet having a measuring roll for fresh toweling and a take-up roll,

for soiled toweling, means interconnecting said rolls so that withdrawal of a length of clean toweling will simultaneously wind up a substantially corresponding length of soiled toweling, said take-up roll having an energy storing mechanism operatively connected therewith, means operating said mechanism to store releasable energy as a result of repeated dispensing movements of said measuring roll, and means for operating said mechanism to release the. stored energy when the supply of fresh toweling is exhausted or substantially exhausted, whereby to of fresh toweling is exhausted or substantially exhausted, whereby to actuate said take-up roll to wind up the last length of soiled toweling.

6. A towel dispensing cabinet of the type in which a visible loop is maintained for the user, including a measuring roll for fresh toweling and a take-up roll for soiled toweling, means interconnecting said rolls so that withdrawal of a length of clean toweling will simultaneously wind length of soiled arooyzza:

up a substantially corresponding length of soiled toweling whereby a loopof uniformsize is maintained, said take-uproll having an energy storing mechanism operatively: connected therewith and including a. coil power spring, means for winding said coil spring as a result of repeated movements of said measuring roll to store releasable energy, and means for automatically releasing the. spring when the supply of fresh toweling is exhausted or substantially exhausted,

whereby to actuate said-take-up roll to obliterate.

the loop.

'7. A. towel dispensing cabinet having a clean towel measuring roll and a. soiled toweling takeuproll, means interconnecting the rolls whereby dispensing of a length of clean toweling will simultaneously wind up a substantially equal length of soiledtoweling, energy storing mechanism in driving connection with said take-up roll, means by which repeated dispensing movements of said measuring roll operates said mechanism to incrementally store energy sufiicient to operate the take-uproll-for take-up action independently of operation of the measuring roll, and means operating said energy storing mechanism to release energy.

8. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising, a measuring roll, a soiled take-up roll, energy storingmechanism in driving connection with the take-up roll, means by which the measuring roll drives the take-up roll and operates said energy storing means to store energy, including a part-movable from driving position to disconnect the drive of the take-up roll by the measuring roll and to obtain release of the said stored energy and towel controlled means for moving said part from driving position when the toweling supply is exhausted or substantially exhausted.

9. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising, a measuring roll, a soiled take-up roll, energy storing mechanism in driving connection with the take-up roll, meansbywhich the measuring roll drives the take-uproll and operates said energy storing means to store energy including a part movable from driving position to disconnect the driveof the take-up roll by the measuring roll and to obtain release of the said stored energy, said energy storing mechanism requiringrepeated dispensing operations to obtain storage of sufficient energy for take-up roll operation, and towel controlled means for moving said part from driving position.

10. A towel dispensing apparatus comprising, a measuring roll, a soiled take-up roll, energy storing mechanism in driving connection with the take-up roll, means by which the measuring roll drives the take-up roll and operates said energy storing means to store energy, including a part movable from driving position to disconnect the drive of the take-up roll by the measuring roll and thus obtain release of the said stored energy, said energy storing mechanism requiring repeated dispensing operations to obtain storage of sufficient energy for take-up roll operation, and towel controlled means for automatically moving said part from driving'position when the toweling supply is exhausted or substantially exhausted.

RUDOLPH G. BIRR. ALBERT C. GRUNWALD. 

